Michael G. Gunzenhauser is Professor and Senior Associate Dean of Academic and Faculty Affairs. He is a philosopher of education and qualitative research methodologist and is currently working on several research topics, including race-conscious ethics, educator professionalism, and responsive caring. His book with Osly J. Flores and Michael W. Quigley, Race-Conscious Caring in Educational Leadership: A Narrative Ethics, is published by Teachers College Press.
Before coming to Pitt in 2004, Dr. Gunzenhauser was an assistant professor at Oklahoma State University. He earned his PhD degree in Social Foundations under the direction of Drs. Lynda Stone and George Noblit at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; his master’s degree in Higher Education and Student Affairs Administration under the direction of Drs. Robert Nash and Kathleen Manning at the University of Vermont; and his bachelor’s degree in Mathematics, also at UNC-Chapel Hill.
Dr. Gunzenhauser began his educational career as a resident assistant in 1986, and before becoming a faculty member, he served in several professional administrative roles, including residential counselor at the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics, graduate assistant at the University of Vermont, and coordinator for pre-college programs at Duke University. He was a graduate researcher for the research and evaluation of the North Carolina A+ Schools Program and co-principal investigator for the initial evaluation of the Oklahoma A+ Schools Program.
Applying his background and interest in philosophy of education, Dr. Gunzenhauser studies ethics, social justice, the foundations of research, and school reform. His most recent publications are articles co-authored with Drs. Osly Flores and Michael Quigley, alumni of the Pitt School of Education. This project is leading to a collaborative book on leadership ethics from a race-conscious perspective. Dr. Gunzenhauser is also working on articles on the concepts of responsive caring and educator professionalism as they connect to social justice work.
His line of inquiry on the ethical and epistemological grounding of qualitative research continues with studies of doctoral student preparation in qualitative methodology, including a collaborative project with Dr. Stacy Otto on data analysis.
- Gunzenhauser, M.G., Flores, O.J.*, & Quigley, M.W.* (2021). Race-conscious ethics in school leadership: From impersonal caring to critical responsibility. Teachers College Record, 123(2), 1-40.
- Flores, O.J., & Gunzenhauser, M.G. (2021). Justice in the gaps: School leader ethics and the use of data to address the opportunity gap. Urban Education, 56(2), 261-288. First published online October 2018.
- Gunzenhauser, M.G. (2020). Know what you believe in and what you’re up against. In K. Stemhagen (Ed.), Philosophy of education 2019: Proceedings of the seventy-fifth annual meeting of the Philosophy of Education Society (pp. 27-33). Urbana, IL: Philosophy of Education Society.
- Flores, O.J., & Gunzenhauser, M.G. (2019). The problems with color-blind leadership revealed: A call for race-conscious leaders. International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education, 32(8), 963-981.
- Gunzenhauser, M.G. (2017). What does it mean to be an education professional? In B.R. Warnick & L. Stone (Eds.), Philosophy: Education (pp. 337-356). Farmington Hills, MI: Macmillan Reference USA.
- Hou, Y.-W., Lee, C.-W., & Gunzenhauser, M.G. (2017). Student evaluation of teaching as a disciplinary mechanism: A Foucauldian analysis. The Review of Higher Education, 40(3), 325-352.
Awards and Honors:
- Faculty Service Award, University of Pittsburgh, School of Education, April 2014
- Critics’ Choice Book Award, The Active/Ethical Professional: A Framework for Responsible Educators, American Educational Studies Association, November 2012
- Extra Mile Award, University of Pittsburgh, Council of Graduate Students in Education, April 2007
- Mary Catherine Ellwein Outstanding Dissertation Award, American Educational Research Association, Division D: Measurement and Research Methodology and SIG: Qualitative Research, April 2001
As a member of several professional organizations, Dr. Gunzenhauser is active in service and leadership positions.
He is currently chair of the finance committee of the Philosophy of Education Society.
He has served as president of the Ohio Valley Philosophy of Education Society, executive board member of the American Educational Studies Association, and advisory board member for the Barbara Jackson Scholars Network of the University Council for Educational Administration.